Spring Migration Slowing Down

Joshua and I walked in the woods yesterday evening to see if we could spot any new arrivals. Besides the mosquitoes buzzing around, it was pretty slow down there! I did add a Swainson's Thrush to the yearly property list. Nothing was moving in the treetops. I'll probably go down for a little while in the morning (armed with Deep Woods Off!) and see if anything more is moving.

I made a list of migrants that I haven't seen this spring that I should have seen: Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Yellow-throated Vireo, Wood Thrush, Yellow Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler, Worm-eating Warbler, Louisiana Waterthrush, Canada Warbler, Scarlet Tanager, Blue Grosbeak, Dickcissel, Orchard Oriole and Baltimore Oriole. Others that I hoped to see but don't necessarily expect were Black-billed Cuckoo, Prothonotary Warbler and Swainson's Warbler. I have seen Canada Warblers in the fall, so I haven't given up on them. I usually see more Baltimore Orioles in the fall than I do in the spring. It's very surprising that I haven't seen or heard a Yellow-billed Cuckoo yet. They nest here and should be establishing territory. They were late coming in last year, so maybe they're late this year again. If I don't see one, this will be the first year that I haven't seen a Worm-eating Warbler, Scarlet Tanager or Blue Grosbeak on the property. And if I don't see a Blackpoll Warbler in the spring, I won't see one for the year since they migrate south along the Atlantic coast. I'll keep watching for the next couple of weeks, though. You never know when a late migrant will come through!

I checked the bluebird box on Wednesday and don't see any signs of nest building for a second brood yet. But, the chicks did just fledge a week ago, so I give them another week before they start turning their attention to another nesting.

Birds seen May 8 (27 species): Little Blue Heron, Cattle Egret, White Ibis, Red-shouldered Hawk, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Mourning Dove, Barred Owl, Chimney Swift, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Great Crested Flycatcher, White-eyed Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, Purple Martin, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Eastern Bluebird, Swainson's Thrush, Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, Northern Parula, Kentucky Warbler, Northern Cardinal, Indigo Bunting

'08 Birds Seen as of May 8: 118
'04 Birds Seen as of May 8: 105